The Explosion
by MistyMae
Summary: There's an explosion at Holby and the staff struggle to deal with the immediate aftermath. Most characters will be making an appearance.
1. Chapter 1

Jac Naylor stared at the staircase. On any other day, she actually preferred taking the stairs to the lift. It was healthy and rejuvenating, but since her bump had begun to grow, she couldn't muster up enough energy to get out of bed, never mind climb a staircase that seemed higher than Mount Everest.

"I hope you're not actually considering it," Serena Campbell called from behind her.

"I was, actually," Jac answered grumpily.

"Well," Serena glanced up the stairs. "Better you than me."

"Ms Campbell?" Henrik Hanssen's voice called from the entrance.

"On second thought," Serena pushed passed Jac and started jogging up the stairs, desperate to get away from her superior. She knew he had arranged a meeting with the head of maternity first thing and she was not going to allow him to push it onto her. She had more than enough on her plate.

"Was that Ms Campbell I saw?" Henrik asked Jac as he reached her.

"Indeed it was," Jac tried to suppress the smirk that was threatening to form on her lips as she heard her older colleague's heels click against the stairs. "If you run, you might catch her."

Henrik gave her an unimpressed look before heading up the stairs after Serena. He saw no reason why he should be punished for the act of waking up by being forced to listen to the hospital's most formidable midwife, nurse Remmeny, complain about lunch breaks and tea time. Serena was much better at hiding her aggravation.

Jac had to chuckle as she heard Serena's pace slow, knowing that she had run out of energy. Henrik would reach her before she had time to hide.

"Ah, Jac," Sacha Levy called from the lift. "Going up?"

Jac gave one last longing look at the staircase before turning around and joining her colleague in the lift.

"So, how's the bun?"

"What?" Jac snapped.

Sacha motioned to her stomach.

"Oh," Jac realized what he was talking about. "It's fine."

"Are you getting enough vitamins and supplements? You look tired?"

Jac just rolled her eyes as the lift doors closed, catching a glimpse of Elliot Hope as he walked passed.

"I'm telling you, Ric," Elliot was saying. "I'm absolutely fine. Sharon was just a passing phase."

Ric Griffin gave his friend a skeptical look. "The day I believe that is the day I die."

They both moved out of the way as a stretcher was brought passed them with a young woman on. She was unconscious.

"Are you taking her through to AAU?" Ric asked the paramedic.

"That's what _he_ told us," the man pointed to Antione Malick who was running towards them. He had not even had time to get changed into his scrubs.

"You're already directing patients to AAU?" Ric smirked.

"I thought you could use a little work," Malick chuckled.

"Thanks," Ric waited with the stretched for the lift to arrive as Malick made his way up the stairs, passing a very out of breath and highly annoyed Serena Campbell who was arguing with Henrik Hanssen about some meeting. "Morning," Malick grinned.

"Morning," they both answered in unison, both looking decidedly unimpressed with the other.

Malick continued up the seemingly endless staircase until her reached Keller. Michael Spence was talking animatedly to Chantelle Lane.

"Morning all," he saluted them both.

"Malick, good timing," Michael turned to him. "Chantelle and I were just discussing arranging a night off for Keller. What do you think?"

"As long as there's dancing, disco and drinks," Malick smiled. "I'm definitely in."

"I'll start arranging something," Chantelle clapped her hands together. "Oh, I'm so excited. I love party planning."

"Just don't let word get out to Mr H and the Wicked Witch of the West that I allowed it," Michael said as Chantelle nodded and climbed onto the internet to search for venues.

Malick continued to the changing room, pausing to greet Edward Campbell. "Morning, sir," he smiled.

"Good morning, kind man," Edward shook his hand and kept walking. "Not running late, are we?" Edward called back at him.

"Don't tell on me," Malick smiled as he closed the changing room door.

Edward chuckled as he headed passed the nurses' station and down the corridor, giving his ex-wife a wink as he noticed her and Henrik appear from the staircase, still in the middle of a heated argument. Serena gave him a questioning look, wondering what he was doing on Keller before ignoring him and continuing with her conversation. Edward had been asked to give a second opinion for a colleague up on Keller. He headed down the stairs to AAU, pausing to grin at a flustered Jonny Maconie.

"Not a word," Jonny laughed. "I was supposed to pick Mo up this morning and only woke up when she called me to tell me she was already here."

"Nothing worse than a woman scorned," Edwards chuckled as Jonny ran up the stairs, throwing his bag over his shoulder. Edward hadn't had much to do with the Darwin staff, but they seemed like a good group of people. He reached AAU, taking a deep breath as he stepped onto the ward. It was a busy morning already.

"Mr Campbell, I could do with your opinion here," Harry Tressler called from the side of a stretcher.

"Your expertise is needed already," Gemma Wilde smiled. "Mind if I join you?"

"Everything is classed as a learning experience," Edward smiled. "Learn away."

Gemma cheerfully followed the older man to the patient in question, passing Mary-Claire Carter who was trying to calm a patient's boyfriend down. "It's okay," she was saying. "She's in the best place she could possibly be right now."

"But what if she dies?" The man was saying.

"The doctors here are the best in the country. You need to calm down."

"Does anyone know where Ms Campbell is?" Sacha called from the nurses' station. He was filling in a patient form with one hand and holding the phone receiver with the other.

"I saw her up on Keller earlier," Edward called to him, listening to a patient's heart beat with his stethoscope.

"I'm on my way up there now," Chrissie said as she juggled some medical equipment while pushing the door open. "I'll send her down."

Sacha nodded, watching as his soon to be ex-wife took the lift up to Keller. The sight of her still saddened him. At one point of his life, he would have been willing to give his own life for her.

Chrissie noticed the look on Sacha's face as the doors closed. She felt sorry for him, but also for herself. He had betrayed her when he lied about their son's condition and she could never forgive him for it. He knew how concerned she was about Daniel and he hadn't even had the decency to tell her that their son had a hole in his heart.

The doors opened to reveal a much calmer Keller. Chrissie almost missed the good old days when Serena had brought her up to work on Keller. It was much less stressful.

Chantelle noticed her and quickly came over to help her with the equipment she was struggling to carry. "Haven't seen you in a while," she beamed at Chrissie. "I just wanted to say, I think you're so brave."

"Brave?" Chrissie asked curiously.

"You know, being a mum and having cancer. I think the way you're handling it all is just fantastic."

"Thank you," Chrissie gave her an insincere smile before dumping the equipment on the counter at the nurses' station. "Thank you for reminding me."

"Oh, I didn't mean . . ." Chantelle looked genuinely hurt.

"Ms Campbell, Sacha needs you," she called to Serena.

Serena rolled her eyes and picked up the receiver at the nurses' station, punching in the extension number for AAU. "This is exactly what I'm talking about," she said to Hanssen. "I'm too busy to be dealing with-"

"AAU," Sacha's voice answered the phone.

"What do you need?" Serena asked.

"Any chance you can come down here and help? We're overrun."

"I'll be there in a second," she watched Chrissie disappear in the lift. "I'm need on AAU," Serena smiled at Hanssen as she placed the receiver back down. "So, unfortunately, I'm going to have to decline and you'll have to deal with nurse Remmeny yourself."

"On the contrary," Hanssen said as he started moving away from her. "I'll assist on AAU. You can still meet with nurse Remmeny."

Serena watched Henrik walk down the corridor and cursed him silently. He had forced her to agree to meet with the maternity department.

Michael noticed her irritation and couldn't help but smile. "It's not the first time you haven't gotten your way," he grinned.

"Oh Michael, shut up," she growled, turning on her heel to make her way up to Henrik's office. He had agreed to allow her to use his office to meet with maternity after she had initially refused. She had just reached the staircase when there was an incredibly loud noise. Before her mind could even register what had happened, she felt a magnificent pressure lift her up into the air and slam her against the wall in front of her. She had passed out before her body hit the floor which was now strewn with wall plaster and bricks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you everyone for your reviews and for reading! It's very much appreciated. I've tried to write this as I can see it playing out. The previous chapter was fast moving and this will have to be even faster. I would imagine a huge amount of chaos in this situation.x**

Mo Effanga glared at Jonny as he walked towards her, already changed into his scrubs. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Not good enough," Mo snapped, giving him a disapproving look. "I had to wait outside in the cold for almost thirty minutes before calling a taxi."

"I overslept," Jonny explained.

"You make it sound like a rare occurrence," Jac smirked as she joined them at the nurses' station.

"I'll make it up to you," Jonny turned to Mo who had was walking towards the staff room.

"Yes, you will," Mo chuckled. "I like lobster."

"I'm not a millionaire," Jonny called to her, smiling as Mo threw her hands in the air, indicating that she didn't care. He knew she would make him pay.

"You might want to consider getting a second job then," Jac noticed the surprised look from Jonny as he glanced down at her stomach. Surely he didn't think she meant he needed more money for the baby. She was about to explain to him that she would never need his money when an unbelievably loud sound grabbed her attention and within a split second, she was thrown to the ground. It felt as though she had had the wind knocked out of her. She opened her eyes when she felt Jonny's hand on her hip. He was trying to say something but she couldn't hear him. There was a ringing in her ears that she couldn't shake.

Jonny had hit his head against the desk when he had been tossed to the floor. He could feel blood dripping down his face, but his first concern was for Jac. She seemed unharmed, if a little dazed. "Are you okay?" He yelled, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hear her reply. It was as though his eardrums had burst. "Jac!"

Jac took Jonny's outstretched hand and allowed him to pull her off of the floor. She glanced past him and froze in horror as she noticed the side of the building had caved in. There were open wires hanging from the ceiling and lights were flickering, filling the corridor with a haunting sense of dread.

Jonny turned to see what had caused Jac to become so pale. His blood ran cold as he saw the dust rising from the crumbled walls. "MO!" He screamed.

* * *

Edward Campbell had just moved away from Harry's patient when he heard it. A sound so thunderous that it made the whole building shake. At first, he thought it might have been an earthquake. It wasn't until he heard the fire alarm go off and the sudden panicked scream that he realized something terrible had happened. He turned to look at Ric who was mirroring his expression of confusion and a hint of panic.

"What the hell was that?" Sacha asked, moving towards the entrance to AAU. He pushed the doors open and glanced down the corridor. "Oh my God," he breathed. There were small flames shooting out of the ceiling and part of the wall had collapsed inwards.

"Let's get these people evacuated immediately!" Ric called to Mary-Claire and the rest of the dumbstruck staff. "Move!"

The ward suddenly jumped to life. Nurses and doctors started rolling patients on stretchers out of the nearest fire exit. Patients who were capable of walking were running with a bewildered look on their faces.

"Sacha!" Chrissie screamed from inside the lift.

Sacha was about to assist a patient out of AAU when he heard he wife's screams. "Chrissie?"

"Sacha, I'm trapped," she called, the panic obvious in her voice.

"It's okay," he called, touching the doors to the lift. "Don't worry. I'm going to get you out."

"Sacha," Edward called. "Let's go!"

"Chrissie's trapped in the lift!" He called.

Edward jogged over to him, pausing as he saw the damage to the building for the first time. His first thought was Serena. She had been up on Keller. He moved towards the rubble that was once the entrance to the staircase.

"Edward!" Sacha called.

"Serena's up there," he mumbled, glancing back at his frightened colleague.

"I need your help," Sacha said. "My wife is in here."

Edward's eyes darted back at the crumbled staircase.

"Please," Sacha begged.

"Okay," Edward quickly turned back to Sacha. He would help Chrissie and then go looking for Serena. "Okay."

"Hold tight, Chrissie," Sacha called.

* * *

"Chantelle!" Malick cried, frantically pushing some furniture aside to get to his friend who had been pinned to the ground. "Chantelle!"

Chantelle's eyes filled with tears as Malick scooped her up off of the floor. She had smashed her arm against a pillar as she had been thrown into the air. A piece of the bone had pierced through her skin and she was clenching her teeth to ease the pain as Malick attempted to physically carry her to the fire exit. "Get everyone out!" He shouted at the nurses. Keller had been relatively quiet that morning which meant the evacuation would be fast.

"What happened?" Chantelle managed to squeak.

"I don't know," Malick answered, his legs starting to buckle from the strain of carrying someone down the fire exit.

"Malick!" Harry called, running up from the car park to help him with Chantelle.

"Any idea what happened?" He asked as they carried Chantelle to the fire assembly point where most of Holby was trying to comfort each other and make sense of what had happened.

"It looked like an explosion," Malick said, noticing everyone look at him.

"Terrorism?" A patient suddenly asked.

"Oh my God," a woman covered her mouth, bursting into tears.

"Malick," Ric ran over to them, gently rubbing Chantelle's shoulder. "Are you all okay?"

"Chantelle's broken her arm," he said, glancing around the chaotic car park. "Where's Mr Spence?"

Ric turned to look around. There were too many people around to find an individual person. "Was Serena with you on Keller?"

Malick's eyed widened. "She's not here?"

"She was on her way to Mr Hanssen's office," Chantelle said, grimacing with pain.

Ric's blood ran cold. "She was on the staircase?" He asked in a whisper.

* * *

Serena's eyes fluttered open. Her vision was blurred, but beginning to clear. She found herself staring at a large piece of concrete. Wondering why she was horizontal, she tried to push herself up off of the ground when the excruciating pain soared through her body and she collapsed back onto the floor, unable to breathe, let alone scream. There was an alarm going off in the distance, but the ringing in Serena's ears was so intense that she wasn't sure if the alarm was real or not. She could taste blood and there was a strong burning scent in the air. The staircase was dark. Serena tried once again to move, finally realizing that there was some sort of pillar that was pinning her legs down. It took every ounce of strength to try and pull free. Her left leg was badly damaged and it was impossible to stand. She crawled towards part of the staircase, still unsure as to what had happened. Was it an earthquake? Her arms were weak and shaking.

There was no way she would be able to climb down the staircase; parts of it were missing. She rested her back against the metal railing that was still standing. Her head was pounding and spinning at the same time. She felt dizzy and nauseous.

_Please just don't let me die_, she thought to herself. There were so many things she still had to do. Eleanor needed her. She hadn't even had a chance to say goodnight to her the night before. She hadn't had a chance to tell her how much she loved her; how proud she was.

A loud groan brought her back to her senses and she glanced down the dilapidated staircase. Two floors below her, she noticed a body moving slightly. "Henrik?" She called.

There was no reply.

"Henrik!" She shouted, trying to get an answer from the man. She wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline that kicked in or the sudden fear of losing someone she knew that forced her to start crawling down the staircase. She clenched her teeth as her broken leg slammed against the first step. She forced herself to continue.

* * *

"MO!" Jonny screamed again, running towards the rubble.

"Jonny!" Jac cried, moving to run after him, but being held back by Elliot.

"We need to get out of here," he was saying, his eyes wide with fear.

"No!" Jac tried to wriggle out of his grip. "Jonny!" She screamed, watching as he vanished into the smoke.

"Jac, please!" Elliot cried, turning her around to face him. "We need to get out of here. Rescue services will be here any second."

"But . . . Jonny," her voice broke. She was trying to stay strong, but the thought of him being killed was too much to handle.

"Jac, I need your help," Elliot tried to calm her down. "I need you to help me evacuate this ward."

Jac glanced around at the disorientated and panicked looks coming from some of the bedridden patients. Elliot slowly released his grip on her as she moved to the nearest bed and started rolling it down the corridor, glancing back to see if she could see Jonny.

* * *

"Ric," Edward called as he, Sacha and Chrissie jogged to the assembly point in the car park. "Have you seen Serena?"

Ric could barely hear him over the screeching sirens from the fire engines and police vehicles that were flooding into the car park.

"Serena!" Edward called. "Is she here?"

"I haven't seen her!" Ric shouted back.

Edward spun around and raced back towards the building. A policeman stepped in front of him. "You can't go back into the building, sir," the man said sternly.

"My wife's in there!" Edwards yelled, not caring that Serena was in fact his ex-wife.

"I'm sorry, sir, you can't go in. The rescue teams will bring her out."

"Look," Edward tried again. "I'm a doctor. If she's injured, I can help her."

"This is a crime scene," the officer answered.

"Your first priority is to preserve life, _not_ evidence!" Edward was starting to lose his temper.

Ric and Malick had run over to join him. "We volunteer our services," Malick said.

"Please move back to the assembly point!" The officer yelled.

"This is ridiculous!" Edward tried to push passed the man and was shoved back. His first reaction was to fight him, but Ric had anticipated his move and quickly intervened, pulling him back.

"If this was an explosion, there could be more explosive devices in the building. I can't allow you to get yourselves killed," the officer seemed to understand Edward's desperation. "And we don't know how stable the building is. I'm sorry."

Edward pulled away from Ric and held his hands against his head. His gaze fell on Sacha who was holding Chrissie in his arms, trying to comfort her. He felt a pain in his chest as he imagined Serena's lifeless body under a heap of rubble.

* * *

"MAUREEN!" Jonny yelled, covering his mouth with the bottom of his shirt. The smoke was thick and he was struggling to breathe. He was stumbling over pieces of debris. There were sparks coming from the wires which had been ripped from the ceiling. Jonny's vision was blurred as tears were running down his face. The smoke was burning his eyes. "MO!"

A faded voice grabbed his attention and he turned to his left, dropping to his knees and blindly feeling around the rubble strewn floor for a familiar feeling. His hand came into contact with soft, warm skin and he had to feel with both hands to realize it was a leg. "Mo?" He called.

"If you wanted to feel me up, Jonny Mac, you could've just asked," Mo's replied, coughing.

"Oh thank God," Jonny's hands moved up to his best friend's shoulders and he pulled her into an embrace. "Thank God."

Mo coughed again, relieved to know her friend was alive and touched that he had come looking for her. Although there was a part of her that knew he would.

"Are you okay?" Jonny slowly released her.

"My head's bleeding," she coughed. "And I'm suffocating. Apart from that, I think my ribs are broken."

"So you're fine then," Jonny smirked.

"Help me up," she coughed.

* * *

"Henrik," Serena called as she slid down the railing, hobbling on one leg to get to him. His chest was covered with blood. Serena reached out to touch his face and he barely stirred. "Henrik," she whispered in his ear. "It's going to be okay." She reached down to unbutton his shirt. He had cut himself on something and there was a gaping wound across his chest. She pressed her hand down against it to try and stop the bleeding. This seemed to get his attention as his eyes fluttered open. He groaned again.

"I know, I know," Serena grimaced. "I'm the last person you want touching your chest."

"Campbell," he mumbled.

"Believe me, I would relish the opportunity to rather be in a meeting with nurse Remmeny at this exact moment of time."

Hanssen's hand wrapped around her wrist. "Get out."

Serena's eyes widened at this request. "Uh, no."

"Please," he begged.

"I'm not leaving you like this."

Henrik tried to give her one of his disapproving looks, but he couldn't muster up the energy.

"The rescue services will be here any minute and we'll be just fine." No sooner had the words come out of her mouth when there was another loud rumble and the remaining pieces of wall started crashing down like deadly rain.

Henrik wasn't sure if he had imagined it or not, but he seemed to have heard Serena scream before everything fell deathly silent.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again to everyone who's comment and/or read. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.x**

"Hey Channers," Antoine Malick crouched down beside his unusually reserved colleague. "Okay?"

Chantelle looked up at him with tears brimming in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, don't do that," he soothed, putting an arm around her and gently rubbing her back.

"I'm sorry," she bit her lip, trying to fight back the urge to bury her head in his chest and sob. "I know I need to be strong for the patients, but . . ." she tried to finish her sentence without her voice cracking.

"But what?"

Chantelle turned her attention to a spot on the floor, knowing if she looked into Malick's concerned eyes that she would break down.

"You can tell me," he pressed.

"I just . . . I really thought we were all going to die," she said as a tear slid down her cheek.

"Hey, listen to me, Channers," Malick moved in front of her, ensuring that she was looking right at him. "You're okay. You're right here. Alright?"

Chantelle nodded.

"_We're_ okay. We're alive and we're lucky to be here."

"I know," she rubbed at her eyes.

"Besides, you know I would never let anything happen to you, right?" Malick smiled. "I'm like Chuck Norris, only handsome and . . . gay."

This brought a smile to Chantelle's face and she let out a little chuckle.

"That's what I like to see," he pointed at her smile. He glanced up just as Elliot and Jac were wheeling the last patient out of the hospital. He didn't mention anything to Chantelle, but he was wondering where Jonny Maconie was. Surely he would be glued to Jac's hip. He was about to call out to them when there was another booming crash. More of the building had collapsed in on itself and was sending more dust and ash up in the air which was enveloping the emergency services teams.

"JONNY!" Jac screamed, rushing towards the building. She was caught by one of the policemen who pulled her back. "Let go of me!"

"You can't go in there!" The policeman was yelling.

Jac was squirming to get out of the policeman's tight hold. She kicked at his legs out of pure desperation and was rewarded with being tackled to the ground by another two officers.

"Jac," Elliot jogged over to her. "Please calm down. He'll be alright," he said as he reached down to her. The officers allowed him to put his arm around her and help her back to her feet. "He'll be okay," he repeated into her ear as he took in the horrifying vision of the burning building in front of him.

* * *

Mo awoke with a start, coughing to clear her lungs of dust and smoke. She was lying on her back. Her arm moved beside her, feeling on the ground for her best friend. "Jonny?" She coughed. She could feel nothing but bits of concrete and rubble. She slowly rolled onto her side, grimacing in pain. "Jonny?" She called again. The corridor was covered in more dust, ash and smoke, making it difficult to see anything. She got to her knees and crawled towards the other side of the corridor, feeling with her flat hand for anything that would give her a clue as to where Jonny was. His silence scared her and she pressed her hand down harder, feeling glass cutting into it.

She bit her lip to fight off the pain as she continued to search. Her eyes were filled with grit and she was struggling to keep them open, but she was desperate to find him.

"Jonny?" She called again, rubbing at her eyes that were streaming with tears. "Where are you?" She finally turned around and headed back to where she had come from, crawling down the corridor, trying to ignore the glass slicing through her skin. She paused as she felt a hand on the floor.

"Jonny Mac?" She whimpered, tracing her fingers along the hand to the head. "Jonny!" She cried. "Talk to me!" He wasn't moving and his hand was cold. Chills ran down her spine as she imagined him lying face down, his eyes open.

"Oh God," she breathed, trying to prevent the sob that was threatening to come out of her throat. "Please don't do this to me." She moved closer to him, running her hand down his back to try and ascertain his injuries. Her hand came into contact with a large slab of concrete which had fallen on him. She cried out as she frantically tried to lift it, gritting down on her teeth as her own pain surged through her body. The concrete was too heavy. She tried again to no avail. It wouldn't budge. She knew she had to go find help, but the thought of leaving him alone sickened her to the core.

"Jonny Mac," she whispered in his ear, running her finger down his carotid artery and relieved to feel a pulse. "I need to go get help. I'm going to leave you for a few seconds, but I will be right back. I'll bring the whole army back with me if I have to, okay?" She took a deep breath, knowing he was unconscious and couldn't answer her. "I'll be right back. I promise," her voice broke. She started crawling down the corridor, trying to find the fire exit, but unable to see anything. "Help! I need help!" She screamed.

* * *

Henrik woke to a heavy pressure on his chest. He weakly lifted his arm to feel his chest. There was a sheet of metal across him and he softly pushed it aside. His chest was still wet from the blood that had seeped into his clothing. His fingers ran across the gash on his chest. It felt deep, but not something that couldn't be fixed. He grimaced in pain as he tried to roll onto his side. A large piece of ceiling had fallen beside him. It felt as though he had fractured his shoulder blade. "Ms Campbell?" He called, his voice echoing in the air.

There was no reply. The silence scared him even more than the sound of the explosion had. He tried to push the piece of ceiling out of his way and was greeted by a blood curdling scream. "Serena?" He called, panic rushing through him.

"Oh God, please stop," she cried.

Henrik grunted in pain as he crawled around the debris. He paused upon seeing her. She had been pinned down by rubble. The piece of ceiling was lodged against a large chunk of concrete and bricks which were on top of her and when he had attempted to move it, it had been crushing the concrete further onto her. "Hold still," he said as he reached her.

"I'm not exactly going anywhere," she snapped.

Henrik was relieved that she still had her sense of humour. "I'm going to try and get this off of you."

Serena squeezed her eyes closed, her jaw tightening as she prepared for another surge of pain. Henrik pushed the piece of ceiling away and turned back to the concrete. He tried using the shoulder that was the least painful to push at it.

"Stop!" Serena screamed.

Henrik quickly obeyed, turning his attention back to her. "I need to get this off of you or you could die."

She didn't answer.

"Serena, I need you to-" he was cut off as something warm touched his fingers. He glanced down and was shaken to see a pool of dark blood streaming towards him. It was coming from underneath Serena.

"What is it?" She asked, worried by Henrik's silence.

"Can you feel your legs?" He asked.

"There is a boulder on top of me, am I _supposed_ to feel my legs?" She asked sarcastically.

"What about your arms?" He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Can you feel that?"

"Yes," she said ominously, glancing down at the floor suddenly, as though something had scared her. "Is that my blood?" She asked breathlessly, panic setting in.

"No," Henrik lied. "It's mine."

"Oh God, Henrik," she looked up at him. "You need to get out of here."

"Rescue will be moments away."

"What if the rest of the building collapses?"

"Then it will have to collapse on us both I'm afraid."

* * *

Ric had been liaising with all the nurses to try and get a feel for what they were going to have to deal with. They were sending all emergency cases over to St James and other hospitals in the vicinity. The non-essential cases were being dealt with in the car park.

"How are we doing?" Edward asked as Ric came to stand by him, Jac, Elliot and the rest of the team. He had not taken his eyes off of the building since the collapse.

"So far we're aware of four patients still in the building and six staff members," Ric answered, watching as the emergency services carefully started entering the building.

"Six staff?" Edward turned to him, a dazed look on his face.

"Henrik Hanssen, Mo Effanga, Jonny Maconie, Michael Spence, a porter and . . . Serena," he said softly.

Edward nodded, his jaw tightening. "There's still a chance that they're alive and well."

"Of course," Ric agreed, patting the man on the back.

Jac was staring at the building. She didn't want to imagine Jonny dying and yet, it was all her mind would allow her to think. She knew he would do everything in his power to make sure that she was safe. She couldn't stand by and do nothing. "I can't do this," she breathed.

"We need to stay strong for our colleagues, Jac," Elliot said in the most paternal way he had ever spoken to her before.

"I agree with her," Edward said. "I can't sit back and watch."

"What do you suggest we do?" Malick asked curiously.

"I don't know," he sighed.

Jac suddenly stood up and walked towards the hospital.

"Jac?" Elliot called, worried for her.

Edward watched as she stood still for a second, as if contemplating her next move. In a split second she lunged towards the entrance and was once again stopped by a police officer.

"You can't go in!" He shouted, trying to gain control over the feisty woman.

"That's my family in there!" She screamed.

Edward raced towards them, slamming his full body weight into the officer who had to release his grip on Jac as he stumbled to the ground. She scrambled through the door, running at full speed up the fire exit towards Darwin.

Edward was right behind her, followed by Malick. They rushed up the fire exit to Keller. "Serena!" Edward called.

"Michael Spence! Henrik Hanssen!" Malick shouted, dashing around the destroyed ward, searching for any survivors.

"You need to get out of here!" A rescue services worker shouted at them.

"We're not going anywhere," Edward said firmly. "We can help you, but we won't leave."

The man considered this for a moment before giving them both a little shrug. There was little he could do and his job was to save lives, not restrain people.

"Serena!" Edward called again.

A crumbling sound caught their attention and a hand pushed through some rubble, waving around. Everyone raced towards it. The rescue worker started pushing the rubble and debris aside. "We're here to help you," he called, carefully pulling the hand.

"Michael!" Malick called, falling to his knees and trying to help his colleague to his feet. He was disoriented and bleeding from the head, but he was able to move.

"Malick?" Michael asked in a daze. "What the hell happened?"

"We don't know," Malick held Michael up and threw his arm around his shoulder so that he could use him as a crutch to walk. "All I know is I've never been as happy to see you."

* * *

The muscles in Jac's legs stung as she finally made it up the stairs. It was ironic that earlier the morning she had not had the energy to take the stairs, and yet here she was, racing up them as if her life depended on it. She realized when she reached Darwin that her life did indeed depend on it. Jonny had become an integral part of her life. "Jonny!" She called. "Mo!" She was running down the corridor, smoke burning her eyes and lungs. She stopped abruptly as she noticed a leg lying under rubble. Her blood ran cold as she slowly made her way towards it. Dropping to her knees, she started removing the rubble and tossing it aside. It was only when she noticed the patient's hospital gown that she realized it wasn't Jonny. She sighed a breath of relief. "JONNY!"

"Jac?" Mo's voice filled the corridor.

"Mo," Jac jumped to her feet and ran towards her colleague's voice. "Mo?" She paused, listening for her voice. The air was thick with smoke and ash. She could only see silhouettes in the dire visibility.

"Jac," Mo came into view. She had cuts all over her skin and her eyes were swollen and red. She was obviously in pain and her breathing was heavy.

Jac ran up to her, holding onto her arm and looking her over to ensure there were no apparent serious injuries that required immediate attention.

"Jac, we need to get help," Mo coughed. "For Jonny."

"What's wrong with him?" Jac's voice was thick with panic. "Mo, what's wrong with Jonny?!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you (as always!) everyone for reading and reviewing. I'm really glad you're enjoying this fic. I hope I do the next few chapters justice. x**

"It's cold," Serena mumbled, trying to keep her brain focused on something other than what was going on. Her vision was beginning to blur. "We really should invest in some radiators for situations like this."

"I doubt the architect ever considered an event like this occurring," Henrik said as he struggled to remove his jacket, folding it into a square and attempting to place it under Serena's head.

"I intend on writing a strongly worded letter to him," Serena smirked weakly, her eyes closing.

"This building was built over sixty years ago," Henrik gently lifted Serena's head with his right hand, sliding his jacket under her with his left. "I doubt a letter will get to him. He's probably been dead for years."

"Perhaps I'll get to tell him in person then," Serena heard herself say.

"A letter will do," Henrik said sternly. He could see she was becoming weaker with every second. She was losing a lot of blood.

"I always thought I'd die in a car accident," she said. Her throat was dry and still burning from the smoke.

"No one is dying," Henrik leaned against part of the crumbled wall beside Serena, taking her wrist in his hand and feeling her pulse. "The rescue teams should be here any minute and we'll be fine."

"I'm so cold," she breathed.

Henrik gently rubbed her arm. He needed to get her into surgery as fast as possible. Her pulse was becoming faint.

* * *

"I'm going in," Ric whispered to Elliot who was standing nearby, waiting for Jac to return.

"Do you think that's wise?" Elliot asked with a look of concern.

"If anyone's been severely injured, I'm the most qualified," Ric answered. He didn't wait for a reply and instead jogged through the entrance, noticing another emergency team race into the car park. He grimaced at the strong smell of smoke as he rushed up the fire exit stairs. It was eerie to see the hospital wards abandoned. He felt as though he had stepped into some kind of dark nightmare as he reached Keller. The smoke and ash had thickened in the air and there were still open flames towards the end of the corridor. "Malick!" He called as he noticed his colleague helping someone away from the caved in walls.

"We could use your help," Malick said, looking pleased to see him.

"Michael?" Ric finally recognized the man who Malick was dragging next to him. "Are you okay?"

"I was nearly blown up," Michael coughed. "What do _you_ think?"

"Glad to see you still have a sense of humour," Ric said drily. "Any sign of the others?"

"What others?" Michael asked, standing still and forcing Malick to do the same.

"Serena, Henrik, Mo and Jonny," Ric answered, surprised that he didn't already know.

Michael's eyes widened and he slowly turned around to face the destruction that used to be the main staircase. "Serena was walking passed me," he remembered. He had just moved away from Chantelle and towards the staff room to get a cup of coffee when she had passed him, giving him an amused smile as she did. "Oh God," he covered his mouth as the realisation hit him. "She must've been right in the middle of it all."

Ric stared at the debris in horror. One of the rescue workers was assessing the damage. Edward was standing right beside him, looking worried. "Get Michael out of here," he said as he moved towards them.

Malick did as he was told and tried to pull Michael away, but his colleague kept staring at the spot where he had last seen Serena.

"Is there any chance of us getting this rubble moved? One of my colleagues may be behind this," Ric called to the emergency worker, watching as Edward's face became paler.

"Sir, you shouldn't be in here as it is. We can only start moving this when the building is stable enough for us to do so. At present," the man motioned to the ceiling. "The top floors can easily come crashing down here. There's hardly anything holding it back."

"But surely we can get to the staircase some other way."

"Look, this entire area is unstable. We've just had the fire brigade cut off any gas and electricity getting through here, but there are still risks."

"Please tell me we're not discussing health and safety at a time like this," Edward huffed.

"Unfortunately health and safety is the only thing keeping us alive. And right now, you shouldn't even be in -" he was cut off as another explosion ripped through one of the nearby rooms. Ric and Edward were thrown up against the wall and watched in horror as the rescue worker's overall went up in flames. "Malick!" Ric screamed as he scrambled to the man who had dropped to the floor and tried to pat the flames out with his hands.

Malick left Michael and raced back to Ric, ducking as more flames shot out of the room. They both lifted the rescue worker and moved down the corridor. "What the hell was that?"

"The flames must have reached the oxygen tanks," Edward called to him. "We need to put these flames out," Edward went searching for the nearest fire extinguisher.

"That won't be any good if you're dead," Ric called back to him. "I need you to help Michael."

"Ric, Serena is still in here."

"We can't help her if we get blown up, Edward. Help Michael!"

Edward glanced at Michael who was leaning against the wall, blood dripping from his head and arms. "Okay," he breathed, moving towards him. He couldn't help feeling as though he was giving up on the mother of his child once again.

* * *

"Mo!" Jac shouted.

"He's been hurt," Mo answered, rubbing at her blood shot eyes. "There's a slab of concrete or something on him and I can't move him."

Jac felt her stomach form a knot. "How bad?" She asked, glancing down the dark corridor.

"It's bad," Mo breathed. "You can't go down there alone. We need to get help."

"They won't get here fast enough."

"Jac, we need to get help!" Mo tightened her grasp on Jac's sleeve, as if refusing to let her go to Jonny alone.

Jac ripped her sleeve out of Mo's grasp and started heading down the corridor, carefully feeling around her. She couldn't see anything.

"Jac, please," Mo begged, following her down. "There's nothing we can do without help."

"I can't leave him alone."

"Then I'll stay with him and you go find help," Mo pleaded. "You can move faster than me."

"You're injured," Jac called back to her. "I can't leave you."

"You're not thinking straight!" Mo shouted, trying to get her colleague's attention. "This is not helping him, Jac. Someone needs to tell them where to find us."

Jac was about to refuse again when they heard another explosion. They both ducked, covering their ears. "What the _hell_ is going on?" Jac's voice broke slightly. It felt as though they were in the middle of a war.

"We need to get Jonny out of here," Mo suddenly said. "For all we know there are bombs on every floor."

Jac was surprised at Mo's sudden change of heart. "Can you help me?"

"He's my best friend," Mo said, taking Jac's hand so that they wouldn't lose each other in the smoke. "I can do anything for him." They both walked side by side, helping each other over rubble until they reached Jonny.

Jac dropped to her knees beside him, feeling his pulse. "Jonny, wake up."

Mo kneeled down beside her, her ribs aching. "Let's do this," she said through gritted teeth as she reached out and took hold of the concrete.

Jac did the same. "On three," she said, coughing as the smoke and dust made its way into her lungs. "One. Two. Three." They both pushed at the inanimate object with all their strength, delighted as it rolled off of Jonny and crashed onto the floor beside him. "Jonny," Jac reached down to touch his face. "It's going to be okay."

"Jonny Mac," Mo called.

Jonny's eyes fluttered open and he groaned out loud as the pain coursed through his body.

"Jonny?"

"Jac, we need to get a stretcher. He's not going anywhere," Mo said.

"Okay," she finally agreed. Seeing the situation Jonny was in had made her realize that she could indeed not help him by herself and Mo didn't have the strength. "I am coming back for you, do you hear me?" Jac whispered into his ear. "I am going to save your _life_," she bit back the sob that was about to escape. "Because you've saved mine."

Mo gently patted Jac's arm. "Go."

Jac pressed a kiss to Jonny's cheek before giving Mo a nod as if to say she wouldn't come back without help.

"Be careful," Mo called after her as she stumbled through the rubble.

"She loves me," Jonny mumbled.

Mo moved to Jonny's head, moving in closer to hear him. "What?"

"She loves me," he repeated. "I knew she did."

Mo chuckled, more out of relief that her friend was once again conscious, than amusement. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

Jonny was silent for a second before speaking again. His words made Mo's blood run cold. "Mo, I can't feel my legs."

* * *

"What was that?" Mary-Claire asked after they heard the explosion.

Chantelle stood beside her, staring up at the building she used to be so comfortable with. There was thick black smoke rising from it, filling the air with snow flake-like ashes. It was almost unrecognizable.

Sacha moved forward, watching as a few firemen stormed in through the entrance. "It sounded like another explosion."

"Oh my God," Mary-Claire's eyes filled with tears.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions," Sacha said gently, exchanging a concerned look with Elliot.

"It's okay," Harry touched her shoulder, surprised when she pulled away from him. She did not want comfort from him. Instead, she moved to Chantelle, who put her arm around her, squeezing her tight. It seemed strange, knowing that the two women had once had their own problems with each other and here they were, comforting each other in a time of need.

"There!" Sacha pointed as Malick and Ric stepped out, carrying one of the emergency workers. Edward and Michael followed them out. "Michael," Sacha moved towards him, helping Edward carry him to the back of the car park. "How are you doing?"

"Serena," he mumbled.

"What about her?"

"She was on the staircase when it collapsed."

Sacha's eyes widened as he turned to look at the building.

"Where's Jac?" Elliot stood frozen.

* * *

Henrik watched as Serena's body jolted her back into consciousness. She'd been doing it for the past ten minutes. Her brain would allow her to fall asleep and her body would wake her up. He was worried that she wasn't complaining about feeling pain anymore. She had become unusually quiet.

"Serena," he whispered, watching as her eyes rolled open.

"Have my patient prepped," she said, lifting her head to speak to him and squinting as if she was struggling to see him.

"Your patient?" Henrik asked curiously, wondering if she was dreaming.

"Get him up to the Lincoln ward for recovery," she rested her head back down again. "I'll be up to see him shortly."

Henrik realized she was hallucinating. The ward she was speaking of must have been from a hospital she worked in in America. "Serena," he leaned towards her.

"Edward?" She tried lifting her head again.

"Serena, I need you to stay with me," he said, holding her hand. It was ice cold. He rubbed it between his hands, trying to warm her up, but knowing that it was useless. She was fading away.

"Henrik," she said, the confusion clearing from her eyes. "I'm so cold."

"I know," Henrik breathed. He felt his heart break as he looked at her. She had climbed down the broken down staircase to help him and had been rewarded with a death sentence. "I'm going to get us out of here." He glanced around them, searching for anything that he could use as leverage. He noticed a steel beam leaning against some large chunks of rubble. Grimacing in pain, he started to crawl towards it but was caught by Serena's hand. He turned to look at her.

"Please don't leave me," her eyes were fearful and filled with tears. It was a sight he was not unaccustomed to seeing, but seeing it on her face seemed to haunt him.

"I'm not leaving. I'm going to get something to help us get you out of here."

Serena's grip did not weaken.

"I need you to trust me," he whispered, keeping his gaze fixated on her. "Right now."

Serena nodded slowly and she released her hold on him.

Henrik gave her a smile before continuing to the beam. He knew if he didn't get the concrete off of her, she would die under it. The rescue teams were taking far too long. He pulled the beam towards him, pausing as more rubble dropped. As soon as the crumbling subsided, Henrik continued to pull the beam back towards Serena. He rested it on a heap of concrete beside her. "Hold on," he said as he gently pushed the beam under the slab of concrete which was pinning Serena to the ground, careful not to hurt her. He would have to use the beam as a lever to physically roll the concrete chunk off of her.

"Henrik," she breathed, looking up at him. She was scared.

"This might hurt," he said. "But I am going to get you out of here so that you can see your daughter."

"I need you to tell her that I love her."

"You're going to tell her yourself," he glanced down at her before moving to the other side of the beam. "Ready?"

Serena nodded, closing her eyes as an excruciating pain soared through her.


	5. Chapter 5

**I've finally gotten round to updating this. Hope you enjoy it.x**

Jac Naylor was running as fast as her legs could carry her towards the fire exit. Her chest felt heavy as she rushed passed doors, trying to stop herself from coughing. She didn't have time to rest. Jonny needed her now more than ever before. She had made a promise to him and she intended on keeping it. The image of him lying face down in the rubble would haunt her until she could get him to safety.

The door to a private recovery room in front of her burst open, a large flame roaring out. Jac jumped back, gasping in shock. The fire was hot and burning her skin. She moved back, sheltering her eyes from the heat wave as another small explosion shook another room further down the corridor.

Jac frantically started searching for something that she could use to protect herself from the fire. She couldn't allow this to happen. She was so close to finding help.

She grabbed a sheet off of a nearby stretcher, covering her body with it, knowing that it would probably not prevent her from being severely injured.

Thick smoke was bellowing from the flames, filling the corridor with more ash and eating up the fraction of oxygen that remained.

Jac gasped for air, trying to keep her balance as she moved towards the flames, but the lack of oxygen was affecting her already deprived lungs and she was beginning to feel faint. With every cough, she was allowing more smoke into her lungs. She leaned against a wall and sunk to the floor, knowing that this was the end. She had broken her promise.

* * *

Henrik leaned back against what was left of the stairwell. He glanced over at Serena who had passed out just before he had managed to roll the slab of concrete off of her. His fingers reached up to his shoulder and he grimaced as he felt the break. A piece of his fractured collarbone had pierced through his skin as he had worked to get Serena free. Blood was dripping down his shoulder. He assumed his shoulder blade had been fractured as well. His breathing was heavy and every breath caught as he tried to prevent his upper body from moving any further. He had never experienced such pain in his life.

Glancing over at Serena, he noticed her body still shaking. She was going into hypervolumic shock as a result of the blood loss. Her skin was clammy and cold. "Serena," he called, worried that she would die before they could get out of the building.

Serena opened her eyes slowly. "What happened?" She asked, her voice nothing more than a whisper.

"We've been in some kind of explosion," Henrik answered, relieved that she was conscious.

"Explosion?" Serena was confused. Her eyes closed for a moment as if she were dozing off and then flew open again. "Henrik?"

"I'm right here," he said, biting down on his lip in pain as he reached his hand out to touch her arm. "We're just waiting for the emergency services to get down here and we'll be fine."

Serena's eyes moved to him. She tried to focus on his appearance. He looked pale, drawn and was covered in blood. "Your collarbone," she said, gently raising her hand to point.

"It'll be fine," he answered. The last thing he needed was to have her worry about his own injuries. He noticed more blood seeping out from underneath her back as she moved. "You need to stay still."

Serena gave him an ominous look, before squeezing her eyes shut for a second. "You lied."

Henrik looked at her. "I'm sorry?"

"You lied to me," she repeated, opening her eyes and fixing her gaze on him. "You said the blood was _yours_."

Henrik had to inhale deeply, trying to think of what he could say. "Everything will be fine."

A sad smile crept across Serena's face. "You can't even tell one little white lie, can you?"

"There's no dishonesty in what I say, I assure you."

"Henrik," Serena was suddenly serious. "I'm dying, aren't I?"

* * *

"JAC!" Jonny screamed as they heard another explosion.

Mo had moved over him to cover his head from any falling debris. "She'll be okay."

"No," Jonny breathed. "You need to go find her, Mo."

"Jonny, I can't leave you here," Mo snapped. "Not now."

"Mo, if you care for me at all, you'll go make sure Jac's okay."

"Jonny-" Mo was cut off by another loud explosion.

"Mo, you need to get Jac and get out of here."

"Help is on the way," Mo said, trying to ignore her best friend's request.

"This building is a ticking time bomb. Leave me here. I'll be okay."

Mo looked up as more smoke filled the corridor. She could feel her lungs were filling with poison. "Jonny Mac," she let out a sob. "If I have to die today, there is no one else I'd rather die with."

Jonny felt warm tears begin to run down his face as he pictured Jac's face and his unborn child whom he would never get the honour of meeting. "Ditto, Maureen," he cried. "Ditto."

* * *

"For the love of God, man," Edward shouted. "People are dying in there! Let us help you!"

"Stand back!" A fireman yelled as he and several others rushed into the burning building.

"Edward," Elliot put a hand on his shoulder. "Try to be patient. Shouting at these people is not going to change the situation. Let them do their job."

"I know," Edward's hand ran over his face, covering his mouth. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do. "I just want to help."

"Do we know what's happening?" Sacha asked a policeman.

"One of the fire investigation specialists are investigating as we speak. We'll have answers soon. The fire department is trying to put out the flames."

"And the explosions we keep hearing? What are they?"

"Gas tanks," Edward called over his shoulder. "The fire's causing the tanks to blow up. It's like a mine field in there."

* * *

Jac's vision started blurring and she felt her head bop to the side. She would never have imagined this as the scenario of her death. She was so close to having everything she wanted in life and now it was to be taken away from her.

She felt someone grasp her arm and rolled her head forward, trying to see who it was. All she could make out was a large silhouette in front of her. The figure suddenly pulled her head toward him and covered her nose and mouth with some kind of mask. It wasn't until she felt the cool rush of oxygen enter her sick lungs that she realized it wasn't over just yet. Her fighting spirit had been given a second chance.

She inhaled deeply as two men began to drag her down the corridor. She felt them start carrying her down the fire exit and finally realized who they were; rescue services.

She felt her heart skip a beat and tried pulling the mask off of her face.

"You need to keep that on," one of the men said, holding it firmly against her face.

Her hand tried to wriggle the mask out of his grip so that she could remove it but he was too strong for her. She felt a lump in her throat as she noticed the daylight shining through the nearby door. She was safe; out of the darkness and the fear.

Blinking as the sun reached her eyes, she heard someone call her name. She watched as Elliot and Sacha came racing over to her.

"Jac," Sacha called, grabbing her from the fireman's grip and bringing her into a tight embrace. "Oh thank God."

Jac could barely breathe in Sacha's arms, but she had never been happier for human contact. Elliot's hand gently patted her back.

Jac pulled the mask off just as Sacha released her, immediately examining her for any obvious injuries. "Jonny and Mo," she breathed, turning to the firemen. "They're still up there."

"Are they okay?" Sacha asked.

"They're hurt," she said. "Jonny shouldn't be moved without a stretcher."

"Anyone else up there?" The fireman asked.

"Not that I know of."

The man nodded, before fetching a mobile stretcher and rushing back into the building to find his colleagues.

* * *

"Take a deep breath," Henrik said, placing his right hand under Serena's back. He felt around for an injury.

"It's not my lungs," Serena said, watching Henrik's emotionless face.

Henrik felt around until he noticed Serena squeezing her eyes shut. "This hurts?"

"What the hell do _you_ think?" She grimaced.

Henrik gently pulled his hand out from under her, having tried in vain to disguise the pain in his features. The blood on his hands was dark which indicated organ damage. "From the site of the injury, I would assume kidney injury or a splenic rupture. There's no way of knowing without a CT scan."

"Well, why don't you go get one?"

Henrik looked down at her, concern etched into his face.

"That was a joke."

"Not very appropriate," he answered.

"I know," she breathed. "I'm sorry."

"Name all the bones in the human body," he suddenly said.

"There's nothing wrong with my brain," Serena frowned, her body jerking violently again for a fraction of a second.

"Just humour me," Henrik answered. The best he could do was keep her conscious and using her brain. It might help with the shock and it most certainly would take her mind off of her injuries.

"Should I start from the top?" She asked, her eyes rolling back.

Henrik was about to answer when he heard something in the far corner. He squinted to get a closer look. It almost looked like a piece of metal. It was gone as fast as it had appeared. "Hello? Is anyone in there?"

Henrik felt relief sweep over him. "We're in here!"

"This is Mike Church," the voice called back. "I work for the county's rescue services. We're going to try to dig through this wall to get to you. How many of you are there?"

"Two. Only myself, Mr Hanssen," Henrik called back. "And Ms Campbell."

"Okay, this is going to be a bit tricky. We don't want the rest of the stairwell to collapse. I need you to move as far away from this wall as possible. Can you do that for me?"

"I'm afraid I can't move Ms Campbell."

"Okay. Then let me know if we're getting too close to you, okay?"

"That's fine."

"We're going to get you out of there."

"Ms Campbell is going to need a helicopter rescue. She needs immediate treatment. She is suffering from severe internal bleeding." Henrik turned back to Serena. "It's about time."

* * *

Mo was still clinging to Jonny when she heard movement. She looked up. Her eyes were stinging too badly to see anything. She felt Jonny's hand tighten around hers and she knew he had heard it too. Was it a terrorist coming to finish off the job? She felt her heart begin to race. Maybe she should play dead.

These thoughts were still running through her mind when a man reached down to her. "Are you able to walk?" He asked.

Relief filled her and she was too emotional to answer verbally, merely nodding in reply. The man lifted her to her feet, covering her face with a small oxygen mask. Mo turned to look at Jonny. She wouldn't leave without him. He was very carefully being placed onto a stretcher and secured to it. An oxygen mask was placed over his face before a head restraint was put on.

Knowing that he would be following her, Mo allowed the fireman to lead her out to the fire exit. She glanced around as firemen rushed to put out flames. Darwin was unrecognizable.

Mo struggled to make it down the stairs, her lungs were damaged and her ribs were aching. She began to cry as she saw the exit door leading outside. It felt as though she was being set free after years of torture. Stepping outside, she let out a deep sob. They were alive. They had made it out alive.

Sacha rushed from Jac's side and once again threw his arms around Mo. "You're okay," he whispered into her neck.

Mo clung to him. She couldn't believe they were alive and she didn't have the strength to stand alone.

"Let's get you looked at," Ric said as he and Edward jogged over to them.

"Can we get an ambulance close enough to take Mr Maconie to St James, please?" Edward called to a paramedic, motioning for them to get the ambulance as close to the scene as possible.

Jonny's eyes darted around him, desperately looking for someone.

"She's okay, Jonny," Ric smiled, pointing to a nearby bench. Jac was still breathing from the oxygen tank and Elliot had draped a small blanket over her shoulders. He was rubbing her shoulder and talking to her quietly.

Jonny watched her as her eyes moved from the ground to Mo and finally to him. Her piercing blue eyes locked onto him and she slowly got up, allowing the blanket to drop to the floor as she rushed over to him. Jonny removed his mask slightly. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"So are you," Jac's face was filled with concern.

"I'm realizing more and more how similar to a cockroach I am," Jonny smiled. "I just don't die."

"We need to get him to St James," Ric said.

"I'll come with you," Jac followed them to the nearby ambulance that had very awkwardly been parked between a fire engine and a police van.

Ric watched them disappear into the ambulance just as two men came racing around the corner of the building. "We have two more survivors," one of the men was saying. "One male and one female."

Ric caught Edward's eye. "We don't know anything yet," he tried to say to Edward but was shoved aside.

"Where are they?" He asked, jogging up to them.

The man gave him a suspicious look before answering. "They're trapped on the main staircase."

"Do you know their names?"

"A Mr Hanssen and Ms Campbell."

Edward's face lit up. "She's okay," he smiled back to Ric. "When are you going to get them out?"

"It's going to take some time. The building's a bit tricky. And from what we can understand, Ms Campbell is injured badly. We'll need a stretcher and a helicopter standing by."

Edward's smile faded and was replaced with pure panic.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks again for the reviews and messages. I appreciate each and every one of them. x**

"They're alive?" Chantelle Lane croaked as she watched the rescue teams scatter towards the side of the building. Her eyes were wide with concern.

"From what I understand Serena's been injured badly," Malick answered, his gaze fixed on the people who were now trying desperately to rescue his colleagues.

"Oh my God," Mary-Claire covered her mouth and gently placed her free hand on Chantelle's shoulder.

"It's okay," Harry said quietly. "Serena's a tough old cookie. If anyone will get out of this alive, it's her. Right Malick?"

Malick turned to look at the younger man, noting him motioning towards the two nurses who looked as though they were at breaking point. "Right," he answered. "That building knows better than to take _her_ on."

"She's not as tough as she makes herself out to be," Chantelle whispered.

"How much can I bet you the second they get her out of there, she'll start ordering the emergency teams around," Harry smiled.

"What happens if they're both dead?" Mary-Claire ignored Harry.

"Let's not think like that," Malcik turned to her. "We need to keep positive. And I think _you_ should head on over to St James to get an X-ray on that arm," he said to Chantelle.

"I'm not leaving until Ms Campbell and Mr Hanssen are out of there," she answered, more sternly than she had ever spoken to Malick before.

"Okay," he nodded, turning his attention back to the rescue.

"Malick, make sure everyone stays as far away from the hospital as possible," Ric called over to them as he came to a stop next to Edward. "How are you holding up?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"I can't stop thinking about her," Edward sighed. "I keep picturing her under rubble and debris, scared and confused, probably in pain. And there's nothing I can do to help her."

"They'll get them out," Ric tried to reassure him. "You know better than any of us how tough she is."

Edward nodded. "But no one's immortal. Sometimes we take the people we love for granted."

Ric watched as the rescuers started removing bits of concrete at a painstakingly slow pace.

"I've taken her for granted for far too long. I just need the opportunity to tell her that."

"You'll get it," Elliot spoke as he joined them. "We'll all get that opportunity."

* * *

Henrik had moved back to Serena and was watching intently as the concrete slowly started crumbling as pieces were being removed. He closed his eyes, imagining the jetty outside his father's house. He tried to imagine the ripples in the lake as it gently collided against the overgrown banks and the sound of the wind racing through the nearby reeds. He could almost smell the luscious grass covering the garden and the thick mud that he had become accustomed to walking through as a child. He wanted to be there now more than ever. His heart ached to stand on that jetty again and feel the fresh breeze caress his face. Instead he was trapped in a collapsing building, the scent of smoke and blood lingering in the air.

"Henrik," Serena's voice brought him back to the present. He turned to look at her pale figure.

"I'm right here," he spoke softly, reaching to feel her pulse. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find.

"I want Eleanor to know how much I love her," she said slowly. "I've not been a good mother."

"I'm sure that's not true," Henrik said. A few hours ago, he would never have imagined discussing parenting with a woman he had always kept at a safe distance.

"Please," Serena breathed. "Let me finish."

"Serena," Henrik felt this was a giving up speech and didn't want to hear it.

"I need you to tell her that she was all I thought about. Everything I've done, I've done for her," Serena paused to take a breath. She was struggling to speak.

"You will tell her this yourself as soon as we get you to St James. And I expect you to do exactly as the doctors there say. I don't want to hear that you've been arguing with them," he smirked.

"I don't want to die here," she suddenly said, her eyes filling with tears.

It was strange to see a woman who was usually incredibly strong look so weak. "Why don't we try thinking about something else?" He said, glancing around as more concrete was removed. "Have you ever been to Sweden?"

"No," Serena answered, biting her lip.

"You don't know what you're missing," Henrik started, trying to get her mind off of the present situation. "It's freezing cold a lot of the time, but it has the most exquisite landscapes I've ever seen. It quite literally takes your breath away. The cleanest air, the most sparkling water, all of which I was fortunate enough to grow up with."

"That explains a lot," Serena grunted.

"You should take Eleanor for a holiday. My father left his cabin to me after he died. You and your daughter are more than welcome to stay there for a while. It's quite magical, I assure you," he wasn't entirely sure why he had been so generous, but it seemed appropriate. Perhaps he could offer her something to look forward to.

"Henrik," Serena's voice was soft. "I don't feel well."

Henrik quickly looked down at her, panic surging through him as her eyes shut. "Serena," he felt her pulse again and felt the blood drain from his face as he realized she was no longer breathing.

* * *

"Next time you do something this stupid, I will be the last one coming back to save you," Jac snapped as the paramedic checked Jonny's heart rate and blood pressure. "It was the stupidest thing I've ever seen anyone do."

"Jac, you came back for me," Jonny grinned up at her.

"Only because I was worried . . . for Mo," she answered, glancing back at the ambulance behind them which was transporting Mo, Sacha and Chrissie.

"You were worried about me," he said, smiling to himself.

"I'm a doctor, I took an oath to save lives. I'm legally not allowed to turn my back on someone in need of medical attention."

"Liar," Jonny snorted.

"How's your head?" She changed the subject.

"It's okay," he lied. In truth, it was pounding.

"Can you feel this?" The paramedic pressed against Jonny's legs.

"I'm so glad you're all okay," Jonny looked up at Jac.

"Sir, can you feel this?" The paramedic asked again.

"I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you."

"Jonny," Jac glanced from the paramedic's questioning face back to Jonny. "The man's asking you a question."

"I love you," Jonny said. He was staring into her eyes as though no one else was there.

"Jonny," Jac felt a surge of panic. "Can you feel your legs?"

"I wouldn't change anything," Jonny said as a tear ran down his face.

"You can't, can you?" Jac stared at his legs in horror.

* * *

"Serena!" Henrik called, pulling her face towards him as if she had just fallen asleep. "Stay with me!" He put his head against her chest, listening for any sign of breathing. Once he was certain she was definitely not breathing, he started compressions. With each compression, the pain tore through his broken collar bone and shoulder. He was clenching his teeth in agony, but he was determined to keep going. He was not about to let her die. She had a daughter to live for. He had been too much of a coward to raise his son, but she had been courageous enough to raise her child. If anyone should die, it should be him. "Please don't do this," he whispered.

There was a loud crash as the last piece of concrete was tugged away. Rays of sunlight cut through the darkness and Henrik caught sight of Serena's pale face. Her lips had turned blue and the dark crimson blood surrounding her body was shocking.

"Mr Hanssen?" A rescue worker called.

"I need help over here!" He called. "My colleague's gone into cardiac arrest." He continued compressions until someone reached down and physically pulled him away from her. He allowed the person to guide him out of the rubble and into the fresh air. The light caused his eyes to burn and water.

"Mr Hanssen," Elliot Hope jogged up to greet him. "Are you okay?"

Henrik squinted to see the older man. "Professor Hope," he said.

"Henrik," Elliot tried again, gently placing a hand on his uninjured shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Henrik glanced passed Elliot at the rest of his team. He couldn't find the words to speak. His eyes moved from person to person until it rested on Edward Campbell. Edward had an indescribable look of horror on his face. Henrik followed the man's gaze to his own hands which were caked in thick, dark blood.

"Where's Serena?" Edward asked, dreading the answer.

In reply, Henrik turned around just as the rescue workers were carrying Serena out on a stretcher. "She's not breathing!" One of them shouted.

Edward raced towards her and was held back by Malick. "You can't treat her," he said, horrified to see his female colleague drenched in blood as the paramedics began trying to get her to breathe.

"Let me through," Ric called as he pushed passed the rescue workers. "Serena, you don't get to leave us that easily," he said as he began to assist the paramedics.

"Mr Hanssen," Chantelle's voice drew his attention to his side where she had come to stand. "We need to get you to St James. You've been injured."

"I'm quite alright," he lied, glancing down at the bandages around her arm before turning to stare at Serena's lifeless body which had become the focal point of everyone's gazes.

"Wait," Ric held up a hand, indicating the paramedic who was still doing CPR to stop. "There's a pulse. Let's get some oxygen!"

Hanssen felt a sigh of relief escape his lungs.

"Helicopter's here!" Harry called, turning to watch the emergency helicopter as it started to descend.

"Let's get them out of here," Ric said as he placed the oxygen mask over Serena's pale face.

Henrik stood watching at they rushed Serena's stretcher towards the helicopter.

"Henrik, that means you too," Ric said. "We'll meet you there."

Hanssen nodded, watching as Edward grabbed a hold of Serena's hand. "Serena," he whispered into her ear. "Don't you leave me, do you hear? We've been through far too much for you to give up this easily."

Elliot gently guided Henrik towards the helicopter. "I'll stay here and make sure everything's alright," Elliot said.

"I'll meet you at St James," Edward said softly, bringing Serena's blood stained hand up to his lips and kissing it gently. "I'll see you soon, love."

The paramedics rushed Serena into the helicopter and assisted Henrik in. The rest of the staff stood back, watching as the emergency aircraft lifted up into the air and sped away.

"Channers," Malick turned to her. "Let's go."

"Can everyone who needs medical attention or who is able to provide medical attention please make your way to St James," Elliot called out loudly. "They're going to need all the help they can get."


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update this. It's been a bit hectic this side. Thanks for taking the time to read and/or review as always. x**

Henrik stood in the middle of the closed up room, squinting at the brightness emanating from the snow white walls. He glanced down at the operating table in front of him. There was a young woman lying in front of him, her eyes wide with terror, blood seeping from her abdomen. She turned to him and mouthed the words 'Help me'. He could feel his stomach twist into a tight knot. He desperately looked around for anything to assist the woman. There was nothing in the room apart from the operating table; no surgical equipment, no machines, no windows, no doors. He couldn't move. His eyes were fixated on the dark crimson coloured blood which was beginning to drip from the table and pool around his bare feet. He tried to call for help, but his throat was tight and seemed to seize up each time he tried to cry out. Beads of sweat began to form around his forehead. He looked up from the bloodied floor and felt a sickening feeling surge through him as the young woman transformed into Serena Campbell. Her eyes were filling with tears as the blood was draining from her body. Henrik tried to move towards her and had to fight with all his power to put one foot in front of the other. As soon as he managed to move, the floor seemed to open up and suddenly he was falling.

"Take it easy," Michael Spence said as he noticed Henrik's body jerk violently on the stretcher he was lying on.

Henrik's eyes flew open. He swallowed hard, still struggling to understand why he could not help his colleague. "Where am I?" He asked, looking around.

"We're at St James," Michael answered. He had a large bandage around his head and his left arm was in a cast. "You passed out in the ambulance."

"Ms Campbell?" Henrik asked, grimacing as he tried to sit up.

"You need to take it easy. They're planning on operating on your shoulder soon."

"Is Ms Campbell alright?"

Michael looked at him and then at the floor. "Has the morphine worn off?" He looked at the IV drip hanging next to Henrik. "Can we get a nurse over here?" He called to no one in particular. "I'd like to think _we'd_ be better equipped for this kind of situation at Holby."

"Mr Spence," Henrik stared at the man. "Where is Ms Campbell?" He asked with an anxious feeling.

Michael turned to look at the older man. "She's in surgery."

"How long has she been in for?"

"A while," Michael answered, a haunted look in his eyes.

"What are the nature of her injuries?"

"I'm not sure yet. Edward's trying to get information out of the doctors on call, but the staff are run off their feet. We've even called staff from Holby who had the day off to come here and assist," Michael motioned to the chaotic environment around them. Nurses were running back and forth from patients. Even the paramedic staff had been recruited to assist.

"No news is good news," Henrik said, knowing all too well that sometimes no news was in fact very bad news.

"She stopped breathing again on the way here," Michael said.

Henrik stared back at the man who had an equally concerned look on his face.

* * *

"Can someone tell me how Jonny Maconie is doing?" Jac called out. "_Anyone_?"

Nurses pushed past her. The hospital had descended into chaos. Stretchers were strewn throughout the corridors. Patients had been placed in wheelchairs and abandoned at any convenient spot. Nurses had been given orders to assess patients and decide which patients were emergency cases that needed immediate attention.

Jac sighed heavily. The last time she had seen Jonny was over an hour ago as they had wheeled him in to have an X-ray. No one had been out to explain anything to her. Surely he couldn't still be in there. She peered over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching her as she pushed the door to X-ray open. A patient was being prepped.

"You can't be in here," a doctor called to her with a scowl on his face.

"I'm looking for a patient."

"You'll have to check with reception."

"I _have_ checked with reception. They don't know anything."

"Well, then I can't help you."

"His name is Jonny Maconie. He works at Holby."

"Look, I can't help you. In case you hadn't noticed, his hospital is bursting at the seams. _Please_ leave."

Jac glanced around the room for a second, wanting to push for more information, but realizing that the man probably didn't know anything. They were all just trying to get through the day without any more casualties.

She nodded and left the room, deciding to search the rest of the ward. She noticed Elliot further down the hall, assisting an injured nurse.

"I thought you were supposed to be staying at Holby," she said.

"My skills were needed here. Terrance Cunningham is at Holby."

"Have you seen Jonny?" She asked, ignoring Elliot's reply.

"I've only just arrived, Jac," he looked at her. "Maybe reception knows."

"No," Jac huffed. "They don't."

"Look, Jac, why don't you get something to drink. Something sweet. You've been through quite a shock today. If I hear anything I'll come find you."

"I don't want to leave him," Jac found herself trying to fight back tears. She quickly turned away from Elliot, not wanting to cry in front of him. The thought of Jonny all alone in severe pain was too much for her to cope with. She cursed her hormones for making her far more emotional than she had ever been before.

"Jac," Ric called from the end of the corridor. She jogged towards him pushing past people as she did. "Have you seen Henrik?"

"No," she answered, feeling guilty for not even thinking about the Swede. "Have you seen Jonny?"

"The last time I saw him, he was on the Gladstone ward."

"When was that?"

"About twenty minutes ago."

"What ward?" Jac asked as she slammed her fist against the call button on the lift, her mind reeling.

"Gladstone ward, fifth floor. It's the spinal cord injury ward."

The words made Jac grimace as she got onto the busy lift. She could still remember the look on Jonny's face in the ambulance; it was a combination of fear, relief and something else. It looked as though he had given up.

* * *

"Did you see her?" Mary-Claire asked, a disturbed look on her face.

"She's going to be fine," Chantelle said as she took a seat beside her colleague, her wrist in a cast. "I mean, she's Ms Campbell. There's no one stronger than her."

"She was so pale."

"It's okay. She's going to be okay, right Malick?"

Malick turned to look at the two young women huddled up in the waiting room. "I'm going to go find Edward - see if he's heard anything," he walked out into the buzzing corridor. His ears were still ringing from the explosion. He still couldn't quite wrap his mind around what had taken place. It felt as though it was all just a dream, like none of this had happened.

"Edward!" Malick called, spotting the older man at the far end of the corridor, leaning against a wall. He jogged up to him. "Have you heard anything?"

"They're not telling me anything. She's _still_ in surgery."

"That doesn't mean anything," Malick said, patting Edward's shoulder.

"I've never seen her looking like that," Edward whispered. "So defeated."

"She's the strongest woman I know. If anyone can pull through this, it's her."

"She's not as strong as she makes herself out to be."

"I brought you some coffee," Harry passed both Edward and Malick a cup. "I'm not sure how good it is."

"Anything will do."

"Thanks," Malick took the foam cup, glancing past the young man as Ric joined them.

"This is like a disaster zone," Ric grumbled. "Mr Hanssen's about to go into surgery. They're repairing his shoulder, collarbone and will have to work on the deep gash across his chest. Have you heard anything yet?" He asked Edward who just shook his head in reply. "She's been in there for a long time."

"I know."

"Hey guys," Michael called from the lift as he helped two porters roll Henrik's stretcher towards the operating room.

"Mr Hanssen," Malick stepped towards the stretcher. "It's good to see you."

"I'm very pleased to see everyone made it out," Henrik answered, looking at each of his staff members.

Ric and Edward exchanged a look as if to agree not to tell Henrik about the casualties at Holby just yet.

"Excuse me," a doctor pushed past them, shoving the theatre doors open as he rushed inside. Several nurses and doctors were standing around an operating table. The room was filled with tension as they all struggled to work.

"She's bleeding out," someone said.

"She arresting!"

* * *

"You don't have to be here," Jonny said as he stared up at the ceiling.

"I don't have anywhere else to go," Mo lied.

"I'm sure you'd much rather be resting at home. Two fractured ribs isn't anything to laugh about."

"The cuts on my hands hurt more."

"Liar," Jonny smiled.

Mo wasn't sure what to say. Jonny had been her friend for a long time and this was the first time that she had ever been lost for words. The thought of him never being able to walk again was terrifying. What would he do? His entire life would change. He would never get to walk on the beach with his baby girl or teach her to dance. The thought filled her eyes with tears and she had to turn away. "I need coffee," she lied, trying to keep her voice from cracking as she headed out the door. As soon as she was out from Jonny's vision, she leaned against the wall and allowed the tears to flow down her cheeks. Her chest was tight and she wasn't sure if it was from the smoke inhalation or the emotional turmoil they were all going through. Perhaps it was guilt. Jonny had come back to save her and in return he may be paralysed for the rest of his life. The thought sickened her.

"Mo?" Sacha joined her, gently rubbed her back. "Alright?"

"This is all my fault," she said as more hot tears rolled down her face.

"This is no one's fault," Sacha replied calmly, pulling her into an embrace. "None of us did this."

"Jonny came back for me. I'm the reason this is happening to him. It should be me in there."

"I don't want to hear you say that. This is not your fault. If he hadn't come back for you you could be dead right now. We didn't ask for this to happen."

Mo shook her head, unable to stop crying. "He'll never forgive me."

"He knows this wasn't your fault. _He_ made the decision to go back for you," Sacha whispered into her ear. He looked up to see Jac standing in the middle of the corridor staring back at them, a horrified look on her face. "Jac," he called.

Mo slowly pulled away from Sacha, turning to look at her red headed colleague.

"Please don't tell me he's . . ." Jac couldn't finish the sentence and reached out to lean against the wall. She suddenly felt faint.

"No, no," Mo and Sacha both reached out to hold her up. "Of course not. He's alive and making jokes."

"Okay," Jac took a deep breath. "And his legs?"

This time it was Mo's turn to inhale deeply. "There's swelling around his spinal column. They can't tell if the injury is complete or incomplete. They'll only know for sure when the swelling subsides."

"What does that mean?"

"An incomplete spinal injury is able to be repaired by physiotherapy and sometimes surgery," Sacha quickly stepped in to explain. "A complete injury means . . . he may never walk again."

Jac stared back at him for a moment before speaking. "I need to see him. Now."


	8. Chapter 8

**I was going to jump ahead a few weeks in this chapter, but I think it's too soon, so hopefully the next chapter will be a few days/weeks in the future. Thanks again for the continuous support. x**

Serena felt her body become light, as though she was floating. Feeling painless and tranquil, she opened her eyes. The room was dark and she couldn't see very far. Turning her head, she noticed someone standing beside her bed. She tried to speak, but her throat was too tight and instead she attempted to reach out to get the other woman's attention. The other woman turned slowly to face her. She immediately recognised her daughter's beautiful features. Eleanor had dark streaks of mascara that had run down her face. She stared back at her mother with a dead pan look on her face. Serena's brow furrowed as she realized she couldn't move. All she wanted was to embrace and comfort her little girl. Eleanor took a step towards the bed, her boots eerily silent against the tiled floor. She didn't seem to see Serena at all. It was as though she was invisible to her. Serena tried to raise her hand to get her attention, but something was restraining her. Eleanor took another step towards the bed. She moved her gaze up to Serena's face and reached out to her. Serena tried desperately to take her hand, but it was as though she was paralyzed. Suddenly Eleanor's face contorted with fear and she let out a blood curdling scream as she was ripped through the air into the darkness and away from her mother.

Serena felt a heavy pressure on her chest and pain surging through her body as her mind began to move back to reality. Lights began to flicker around her and she could hear the strange beeping sound of a machine along with panicked voices.

"Hang in there," someone was saying. "She's back with us."

"I need more suction over here!" Someone else shouted.

"Page doctor Simms!" A man's voice ordered.

"I can't find the bleed."

"She's losing too much blood."

"She's going to arrest again."

"Where's our anaesthetist? She's waking up!"

"I'm right here," a man called. "I've got it sorted."

A warm sensation rushed through Serena's veins and the pain slowly started subsiding. The voices became faint and she could barely understand what they were saying.

* * *

Jac stood in the doorway, staring at Jonny. She wasn't entirely sure how long she had been standing there, but she couldn't seem to move any further. Thoughts of Jonny in a wheelchair for the rest of his life seemed to flood her brain and she couldn't shake it.

"If you want to run, I don't blame you," Jonny's voice suddenly filled the room.

"Don't be ridiculous," she snapped, quickly heading towards him. He was lying on his back, facing the ceiling. His face was black and blue. "You look like you've been battered by a heavy weight lifter in a bar brawl."

"You should see the other guy," Jonny snorted.

Jac couldn't even smile at that. She glanced down his broken body towards his legs. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not," he answered.

Jac raised an eyebrow.

"Feeling, I mean. I'm not feeling. That's the problem."

Jac stared back at him, her blue eyes filled with concern.

"Joke," he said. "That was a little joke."

"Stop," she snapped, suddenly feeling angry. She knew it was selfish to be angry with him for what had happened, but she couldn't help it. "Stop making jokes. Stop pretending like this isn't getting to you."

"Jac," he tried to speak.

"This could change _everything_ and you're pretending like it's all just one big joke."

"I assure you, I know the implications."

"Well then start acting like you do!"

"I'm sorry if my need to lighten the situation with some comic relief isn't to your taste. Unfortunately I'm the one lying on my back in a strange hospital with the very large possibility of never being able to use my legs again hanging over my head. For once, this is not about Jac Naylor!" He snapped, grimacing as he did as though it was painful to do.

Jac was slightly taken aback, uncertain of how to respond. "I didn't mean to infer . . ."

"Forget it," Jonny answered. "Let's just talk about something else, okay?"

Jac nodded, knowing how dangerous this road was; if Jonny was going to be in denial about all of this, it could have dreadful consequences.

"How is everyone else doing?"

"I'm not sure," Jac answered, realizing how uncaring it sounded. She had been so wrapped up in Jonny that she had not even bothered to discover how her colleagues were.

"Jac," Jonny said. "Go find out how our friends are doing."

"I'd rather stay here if it's all the same to you."

"Jac. Please. Just go."

"I'll send Mo in," she mumbled, turning to leave.

"No," Jonny called after her. "I'd just like to be alone for a while."

* * *

Edward sat forward in his seat with his head in his hands. He found himself remembering how beautiful Serena looked on their wedding day. She had been so content. He missed seeing her like that. He missed her smile and the sparkle in her eyes. She was an incredible mother and an incredible woman.

"Are you okay?" Ric asked as he took a seat beside him.

"Each time I close my eyes, I see her. She's so pale and bloodied," he sat up. "Ric, I've done a lot of bad things in life. I hope to God this isn't payment for it."

"She's going to pull through. I'm sure of it," Ric tried to comfort his colleague. In truth, he was worried about Serena. Her injuries had been extensive. He'd seen people die from less.

"How are they?" Jac stepped into the waiting room, glancing over at Elliot who was on his mobile phone.

"Both in surgery," Ric answered.

"_Still_?" Jac asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Henrik's been in for an hour. Serena . . . Serena's been in for significantly longer," he said, looking at Edward.

"Do we have a prognosis?"

"We haven't been told anything."

Jac exhaled slowly as she took a seat beside Mary-Claire and Chantelle.

"How's Jonny and Mo?" Chantelle asked.

"Mo's doing well. Jonny's . . ." Jac tried to keep the emotion out of her voice. "It's a waiting game."

Chantelle sat forward in her seat to look at Jac. "He's in critical condition?" She asked in a panic.

"He's stable for now," Jac replied. "They're waiting for the swelling in his spinal column to subside to determine whether there's permanent damage or not."

"I'm so sorry, Ms Naylor," Chantelle reached over to squeeze Jac's hand.

After an initial urge to pull away, she allowed the young woman to hold her hand. It felt strangely comforting.

"Any news?" Ric asked Elliot who had joined them, his mobile still in his hand.

"They've found another two bodies in the rubble," Elliot answered. "A nurse and a civilian."

Ric shook his head in disbelief. "Do we know who?"

"Not yet. The investigators have concluded that the explosion was not terrorist related. They believe it was the result of a gas leak."

"Gas leak?" Malick spat, watching as Mo stepped into the waiting room. "We have inspectors looking for just _that_ coming in every three months. How did they miss it?"

"Holby is a very old building. It may have been a corroded pipe. A freak accident."

"A freak accident could be responsible for killing Serena," Edward stared at the floor.

Elliot fell silent. He couldn't find any words to fix this. This was something Serena or Henrik would be good at. Not him.

* * *

Henrik stared up at the ceiling as his vision began to clear. He could feel his shoulder was heavily bandaged and he was unable to move it. He wondered if the damage done would affect his abilities as a surgeon in the long run. The thought scared him; he was nothing without medicine. His whole life had been built on his talent as a surgeon and the idea of losing it scared him to his core. He couldn't picture a future.

Taking a deep breath, he managed to pull himself up, grimacing in pain as he did. The morphine was clearly not as effective as it should be. He was almost expecting a nurse to rush in and force him to lay back down. He assumed they were all still too busy.

He very carefully slid off of the bed, the cold feeling of the tiles against his bare feet a welcoming feeling. It proved he was alive. He started shuffling towards the doorway. The stitches pulled across his chest and he needed a moment to catch his breath. The corridor was strangely quiet and for a moment he feared he was dreaming again.

"Mr Hanssen," Sacha called from the other side of the corridor.

"Ah, Mr Levy," he greeted him. "How is everyone?"

"Never mind _them_," Sacha smiled. "How are _you_?"

"I'll survive," he smiled tiredly. "Have you seen-" he was cut off as a stretcher was wheeled past him. Both he and Sacha froze as they watched Serena's unconscious body move past them.

"Oh my God," Sacha watched as the stretcher disappeared into a recovery room. "She doesn't look good."

Henrik waited for the nurses to leave the room, probably to rush off to another emergency, before he headed in. She was as pale as a ghost.

"I should get Edward," Sacha stood watching her, his hands on his hips.

Henrik tried to pick up Serena's file from the foot of her bed, but he struggled to open it and Sacha jumped in.

"Ruptured spleen, kidney damage, fractured ribs, broken leg . . . they've removed her kidney," Sacha inhaled deeply. "Good God. How did she survive this?"

"She's a strong woman," Henrik answered. "Go find Mr Campbell. He'll want to be here."

Sacha nodded and rushed out of the room.

"I expect a full recovery from you, Ms Campbell," Henrik said to her. "And nothing less. Don't leave me to clean up this mess by myself. Please."

* * *

"Why don't you all go home?" Elliot said to the staff in the waiting room. "I'll inform you of any changes."

"We don't mind staying," Harry said.

"To be fair, I believe we may be taking up valuable space here."

"We'll wait outside," Mary-Claire answered.

"It's been a long day. I think it's best you all got some rest. I will be in contact with you soon."

"Edward!" Sacha came racing into the room. "You need to come," he tried to catch his breath.

"Serena?" Edward stood up.

"She's in recovery. Mr Hanssen's with her now," Sacha was still explaining as Edward ran out towards the corridor. "Seventh floor, room four owe eight!" Sacha called after him.

"How does she look?" Ric asked.

"She sleeping," Sacha said. "She doesn't look like the usual Serena Campbell, but I think she's going to be okay."

"Oh thank God," Elliot smiled, wringing his hands together.

"Uhm, Mr Griffin," Chantelle called from the corner of the room. She was leaning on the floor, beside Mo's chair. "I think there's a problem."

"Mo, are you alright?" Ric took a step towards her.

Mo lifted her head just as she coughed a spray of blood onto the floor.

"Mo!" Sacha raced towards her, grabbing her just before she fell out of the chair.

"We need help in here!" Jac called.


End file.
